CN Tower

[I Like BNSF]

I was in Toronto Canada last week and went to the CN Tower. They call it Canada’s National Tower but I saw a postcard of the Tower with the “CN” logo. Does CN own this tower? Why would a railroad own a tourist attraction?

[Ken V]

The CN Tower was constructed in the mid 1970's by Canadian National as part of their telecommunications business and not by the railway. The main purpose of the tower was for radio, television, and telephone transmissions. Years later, when CN sold off the telecommunications business, they retained ownership of the CN Tower.

The 1995 privatization of CN did not include the CN Tower (and many other non-rail assets) which continue to be held in public hands. The name was changed to Canada's National Tower to reflect the fact that Canadian National, now just a railway company, no longer had any part of it.

[AgentSkelly]

You know, I didn't realize what the CN in tower refered to since last year

[dummy]

do they still broadcast radio waves from the tower?

[Dieter]

Radio and Television signals are still broadcast from the CN Tower. It is the world's tallest free-standing structure at a height of 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches). At 342 m (1,122 ft) there is the "Glass Floor" and Outdoor Observation Deck.

This tower is second only to Ostankino Tower (540 M) in Moscow, but there are plans to increase the height of Ostankino in 2007 to a height of 568 M.

You had better go up the CN Tower while you can still claim it's the biggest!

I thought it was totally bogus when they changed the name. It's as silly as changing the name of an arena or a major structure like the Pan Am Building to the Met Life building, or RCA to GE Building in New York City. CN built it, and even if they sold it to Air India, to most people it will always be the CN Tower, as in CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. I'm glad I got a souvenir thermometer of the tower with the CN noodle on it while I could!

If the Eiffel Tower was sold to France Telecom, would you call it "The France Telecom Tower"?

Dieter/

P.S. If you have never heard of Ostankino, it's worth checking out, especially if it's going to regain it's status as the tallest free-standing structure in the world;

http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=24

http://www.tvtower.ru/

D/

[W.E.Coyote]

Radio and Television signals are still broadcast from the
I thought it was totally bogus when they changed the name. It's as silly as changing the name of an arena or a major structure like the Pan Am Building to the Met Life building, or RCA to GE Building in New York City. CN built it, and even if they sold it to Air India, to most people it will always be the CN Tower, as in CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. I'm glad I got a souvenir thermometer of the tower with the CN noodle on it while I could!
D/

It seems the same thing happened with the CN Tower's neighbour the Skydome, er, "Rogers Center"...

[Dieter]

We all now know with nothing being sacred anymore, that "Skydome", or "Rogers Center" will be called a variety of other names in our lifetimes.

I therefore invite all of you to PERMANENTLY dub this arena what me and my friends have always affectionately named this hallowed little piece of Toronto;

"THE HOSERDOME"

D/